When You're Gone
by I.want.my.Matty
Summary: After the "We made quite the couple" Comment. Rikku can't stand to lose Gippal again, but what could it mean for them if the rest of the Gullwing crew finds out? Rippal One shot. Sorry, terrible at summaries DX


**Yay! My first fic! I used to be obsessed with this couple. I actually wrote this in math... maybe that's why I'm failing? haha :) Oh well. ENJOY! Oh, and Gippal and Rikku belong to Square Enix :)**

The blond relaxed against his bed in the Machine Faction. He needed help, but going through all these applications was driving him insane. He absent-mindedly rubbed the bullet hole in his back, given to him two years ago by his so-called friend. He winced as he touched the still tender, familiar scar.

"Gippal!" The soft voice carried through his room like a warm feather, caressing his check. "Whatcha doin' up so late?" Rikku inquired.

"I've got a date." Gippal teased. She gave him a pout before she broke into a beaming grin and giggled.

He loved when she came to visit him. It was a rare thing, as she had to sneak away from the celcius at night when the Gullwings were here on business.

She plopped herself down next to him and let her head relax against his shoulder. He swore her hair was a little softer today. A little blonder, too. No, not blond. Golden. Her hair captured everything beautiful about the sky: the sun, the moon, the clouds and birds and stars. Her face, even now, the blackness of sleep threatening to overtake her – reflected the joy and excitement of life. She was wearing her pink pajamas with chocobos on them. The ones he had gotten her last winter solstice. He felt his muscles relax under the familiar weight.

"You shouldn't have said that." She said through a yawn.

"What?"

She sat up and cleared her throat. Looking right at him in her best, deepest, most mocking imitation of his voice she could muster she repeated his words form earlier. "'We made quite the couple.' Really. I mean, I know they know we were together in the past, but Yuna and Paine get suspicious. The practically interrogated me after we left! I told them I was wiped out from our training in the Calm Lands and they laid off a little, but I won't have an excuse tomorrow. What am I gonna say?"

Gippal wasn't sure he had the courage to say what came out of his mouth next. "You could tell them the truth…" He half whispered. He hadn't really meant to say it out loud. At least not yet. He braced himself.

Rikku bolted up from the position she had slipped back into by his side and gave him a good punch on the shoulder, her fingers creating lines through the built up sweat and oil on his skin.

"You know I can't do that! You know Brother would find out from Yuna, and Paine would tell Nooj and Baralai. None of them would let us see each other again! I can't do that again! Go without you I mean!"

"Rikku – "

"No! You _left _Gippal! You just left. Without saying goodbye! I had no way of knowing if I would ever see you again! What if something happened to you? No one knew where you were or if you were in trouble. Do you know how many sleepless nights I spent worrying about you? Crying over you? You know, after a while I was beginning to think it was because of me that you left; that you just wanted to escape _me_."

"Rikku, you know that's no-"

"I know. It was to protect me. But you wanna know something fun? It almost _destroyed _me, Gippal! I can't go through that again!"

One look at the broken mask on her face caused him to falter. This is what she had been afraid of. All the smiles and laughs were a shield. Through it all she somehow always knew it'd happen. He would leave. He couldn't believe how brave she'd been. He couldn't let her down again.

He was silent for a while. He never knew it had cut her so deep. Sure she had been mad, but the tears and fury in her eyes seemed so helpless and unnatural there he had to look away. His stomach did jumping jacks under the weight of her broken gaze.

He opened his mouth, but he couldn't force it to form words.

She buried her face into his shoulder and threw her arms around his bare chest, gripping him against her desperately.

They sat frozen in a picture of distress for what seemed like all night. Listening to the sound of his heart beat had calmed her down to a reasonable state. She breathed in the smell of grease and sweat and guy. The smell she loved so much. The smell of him.

She never wanted the moment to end, this sitting here with him, knowing he was there.

He wouldn't leave again. Without a sound it was the promise that passed between them. He wouldn't ever leave her again.

"Hey Rikku." She felt a pang of irritation towards him for disrupting her moment. "I'm sorry." She looked up. His face was smiling, but honest and sincere. "You know Brother and I used to be friends. I'm sure I can talk some sense into him. Nooj and Baralai are too busy tending to their own pointless battle to be worried about us. Paine and Yuna are your friends. Shouldn't they want you to be happy? They'll see. I'm sure. No one is making you leave. And no one is making me leave. The only trouble I foresee is a convenient hovercraft malfunction and us having to await rescue for a while." He winked mischievously. She giggled. It was weak, but it was better than sobs.

They talked late into the night. They talked about the stupid squabbles of New Yevon and the Youth League. They talked about Paine's sarcastic and hilarious comments. They talked about the plans they had, for when it all ended. When they found out what happened to Tidus and when the fighting stopped.

When Gippal thought she was asleep, he slid the covers over her limp body and kissed her silken hair.

"I love you." He whispered into her perfect skin.

After she was sure he had gone, Rikku smiled. Unknown to her, he had said it every night after she had fallen asleep.

"I love you Rikku. Always have, always will."

**Show the review button some love? Thanks for reading! Love your faces! :) I'm working on a Portal fic right now, actually. So stay in touch for that! Thank you all!**


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